VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR IN USA - Mrs. LE

Dr. KIP REDICK
RSTD 337
LE, KIM-CHI
Date: September 27, 2007


VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR IN USA.
(Ritual)

Vietnamese New year begins on December 30 (lunar calendar). At 12:00PM. to 1:00 AM on January 1st. Everyone awake and pray in front of the altar from 12: 00PM to 1:00AM. On the altar, we have many special to sample for New Year: cakes, flours, fruits etc…
Vietnamese New Year cannot count as a festival in USA. Because of this, adults have to go to work, and children have to go to school. The Vietnamese communities have found many events to celebrate on the weekend such as: The show we celebrate for new year, the lion dance, or watching the Vietnamese film. In that event, we sell and buy the lotto for fun. Everyone get together to discuss some things in the past. The children wear brand new dresses; the adults do not necessarily, but have to be cleaned and neat. Those are a good sample for the whole year. The adults need to prepare the new money to put in the red envelope to give to the children when they come to greet them. The tradition in Viet-Nam is that we celebrate New Year for eight days. The first day celebrates for the family and relative. The second day celebrates for the friends. The third day celebrate for all the teachers etc…
In USA the Vietnamese New Year is very simple because there are very few Vietnamese, Also they spread out around the USA so we don’t have opportunity to get together. I miss the Vietnamese New Year tradition in Viet-Nam a lot.








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